Tulsa Co. Couple Accused Of Smuggling Teen Girl, Forcing Her To Work

A Tulsa county couple was arrested after being accused of smuggling a teenage girl into the United States to clean their house and care for their children against her will, and for no pay.

The affidavit said the couple forced the girl to work for them and even faked documents to make her work at a restaurant and turn over all the money to them.

Tulsa police arrested Ronald Rodriguez-Paz and wife Eva Juarez at their home near 11th and Garnett.

An affidavit said this began in July, when Rodriguez-Paz paid a "coyote" to illegally smuggle the 15-year-old girl to their home from the Honduras.

"Our minor victim is from out of the country, and she was here, and had some folks exploiting and taking advantage of her," said Lt. Brian Wilson.

Wilson with the Human Trafficking division, who works undercover, said the couple put the girl to work immediately.

The affidavit said they forced the girl "to become their housekeeper and full-time caretaker of his four minor children" for no pay.

It said the couple never enrolled her in school and often verbally and physically abused her. For example, it said Juarez sent the girl a "picture of a semiautomatic pistol sitting in the bedroom."

It said the couple faked her ID in November so she could work at a restaurant to repay her debt for his debt to the U.S. and then took all the money.

"Being victimized and taken advantage of by evil people," Wilson said.

The affidavit says the girl's brother came and took her from the home in December after he was released from a Texas refugee facility.

Carrie Tabor with Hope 918, a nonprofit group fighting human trafficking, said these cases are uncommon but there are ways out for the victims.

"That's something we’re trying to do, to combat trafficking and stop it before it happens," said Tabor.

"Pay attention to them, love on them," Wilson said.

Both suspects are charged with human trafficking.

Because they have an immigration hold on them, we can't get their booking photos.

The Human Trafficking Hotline is: 1 (888) 373-7888